Hi there, guys and dolls! Hope you are having a lovely September. As the seasons change, if you are a reader (which I’m guessing if you reading this, you are…think about it, it’s not that hard), then one thing remains the same – the love of a good book.

Us book lovers just keep right on reading throughout the year. The seasons may reflect our choices, perhaps our thoughts turn to love and light reads during the milder and warmer months, and then our interests may shift to heavier tomes and/or the classics during the crisp and chilly autumn and winter, but the reason for reading may remain the same. To transport ourselves to places and on adventures we can take from a comfortable chair at anywhere and anytime we choose. We may also select books where the hero or heroine may have slices of life that reflect our own, which helps us think about how we handle or view our own personal journeys.

Deeming a novel a good book is so subjective, and it should be. It’s a very personal and intimate thing, which is sometimes reflected in reviews and stars, but not always. A good book should be what you get out of it, the thoughts and emotions that are provoked within you. Do you long to be in the world that the author has created? Do you weep with joy or sorrow as the story unfolds? Does time slip away as you turn the page? Do you want to rush to finish, yet at the same time savor every word? Do you simply find yourself caring about the people and places you visit in your mind’s eye? A good book will do that for you.

I love to read (as do my writing alter egos Andrea and Heather). I also do my best to put those qualities into what I write. Time creating my town and my people is like another realm, yet feels so real that when something exciting (good or bad) happens, I sometimes catch myself thinking, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to tell Margot and Daphne about it!’ then chuckle, realizing they’re imaginary. The good thing is, being that they are, in a funny way, they are always there, just waiting in my mind’s eye to hear from me.

Toodles,

Barbara Jean

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About Barbara Jean Coast

Barbara Jean Coast is the pen name of authors Andrea Taylor and Heather Shkuratoff. She is currently hard at work telling the cozy tales of the fictional town of Santa Lucia, loosely based on Santa Barbara in the late 50's, early 60's, known as The Poppy Cove Mysteries.